


Happy

by yeaka



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-17 03:43:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21047750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Prompto saves the day.





	Happy

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

Sometimes it seems absolutely ridiculous to him that they need to hold public relations meetings at all. Regis has a country to run, and they’re _at war_—he hardly has time to worry about what his people think of him. He’d like their unwavering support, of course, but he’ll accept bare acceptance, even indifference: his primary concern is keeping them _safe_. But he isn’t a dictator. He runs his kingdom with an array of council members, and he values their opinions. When they tell him a subject’s important, he listens. 

He listens to Edea when she tells him through a thick frown, “I’m sorry, Regis. But the media really is getting out of hand on this subject—something really must be done.”

“It isn’t personal,” Seymour sighs, although it sounds _very_ personal if Regis understands what they’re saying correctly. “They’re not implying you’re a _bad_ father exactly, just that they would like to see their prince show a bit more...” He gestures vaguely, trailing off. It doesn’t matter what word he picks, because Regis can’t make Noctis do anything, and asking him to do something is the quickest way to ensure he never does. 

Edea cuts in, “It’s just that he tends to always be frowning in photographs. We can’t have our people constantly speculating about how sullen our royals are. _We_ understand that he’s made friends, or _a_ friend, at least, but always hanging out in his apartment playing video games doesn’t play well for the press. From their perspective, he doesn’t do anything but trudge home from university and mope.”

Regis tells her, “Trust me, I would like to see Noctis smile more too, but that’s hardly something I can command.”

“Of course not. And one smile or two won’t fix it. What we need is to arrange some proper _moments_ with the press.”

Regis doesn’t like that idea _at all_. “Whenever we involve them ourselves, things get worse. They could twist whatever story we suggest.”

“Yes, but if we give Prince Noctis a proper script beforehand and make sure he sticks to it—”

Ignis clears his throat. Regis startles, looking over—he hadn’t even noticed Ignis come in. But he has, and he’s standing politely beside the long table, a laptop tucked under his arm. He dips his head in a bow to Regis before reporting, “There’s been a new development, Your Majesty.”

“A new development?” Regis lifts his brow. Ignis nods. 

“May I?”

At Regis’ gesture, Ignis slots between two of the council members and places his laptop on the table. He opens it up and turns it to a standard search engine, then types in: _Prince Noctis._

Having been shown the latest headlines last night when this meeting was scheduled, Regis knows all the awful things that will pop up.

Instead, every single article looks, to his astonishment, _positive._ Edea leans over the keyboard, staring. 

Ignis clicks on one, scrolls up, and follows a video link. He informs them, “This was posted to Prompto’s new channel this morning.”

He hits ‘play.’ The screen flashes to the interior of a small building with a plethora of cheaply printed signs and notices regarding animal adoption and pet care. The worn out floor is absolutely covered in small dogs and smaller puppies of all shapes, sizes, and colours. Some of them have gleaming coats, others matted hair, and some look like living clouds of fluff. All of their tails are wagging. Noctis is sitting in the center of them, grinning and laughing delightedly as the puppies crawl all over him.

_“PromPomsXV here with my bestie Noct,”_ a chipper voice says, and the camera swings around to show Prompto Argentum’s grinning face. Regis has met the boy once or twice, and he seems nice enough, but more importantly, Noctis loves him. The camera whirls back to Noctis. _“So Noct here was thinking of adopting a cat from the shelter, but I told him dogs are way better, and as you can see, I’m winning!”_

_“Nooo,”_ Noctis whines, laughing as he turns his head away from a Pomeranian’s eager tongue. _“Never! Cats for life!”_

_“Naaaw, your heart’s melting, I can see it! We’re totally gonna walk out of here with a dog!”_

_“Damn you! I want them all!”_

_“That’s even better! Think your dad’ll let us fill up the Citadel with puppies?”_

_“No way, dad’s a cat man for sure.”_

_“So let’s flood his office with puppies and change his mind!”_

_“You evil bastard...”_

A yorkie squeezes in to pounce at Noctis’ chest, knocking him back onto the floor. A different dog starts chewing at Noctis’ hair, while Noctis writhes and laughs and tries to pet everything around him. Prompto whines, _“Aw, man, I wanna pet ‘em too! Okay, turning the camera off; I need both hands for this love-in!”_ The camera does flick off. Presumably, he joined Noctis on the floor, and they both drowned in cuddles. 

The video stops. Ignis closes his laptop. He informs the council, “I believe we should be good for at least another few months. The papers have taken this very well.”

_Regis_ has taken it well. He can feel his heart swelling at seeing his son so very _happy_—something that even he so rarely gets to see. When he gets home, he’ll definitely be saving that video.

Seymour asks, “Who’s the cameraman?”

“Prompto Argentum,” Ignis answers. “Noctis’ best friend.”

“We should hire him,” Edea suggests. 

Regis decides, “If we need another good news story down the line, we will. In the meantime, please pass on my gratitude, Ignis.”

Ignis bows his acceptance. 

Regis adds, “And please tell them that I would appreciate professional behaviour around my office. ...But Noctis is free to bring either a cat or dog over to the Citadel any time he likes.”


End file.
